Thank You for Caring

A portion of the proceeds?

I received a copy of a workbook for a medical conference the other day. It wasn't the kind of conference where you learn how to fix broken shoulders. Rather, it was the kind of conference where you listen to consultants talk about change in healthcare, what it looks like and how best to prepare. The conference was for administrators, board members, and medical staff leadership. A majority of the course offerings pertained to minimizing costs and maximizing revenues. It was held a Ritz Carleton. The irony is too beautiful.

Healthcare consulting is just one of the reasons the US will never have affordable quality care. The courses offered by healthcare consultants are expensive (20% discount if attended by 5 or more of your board or executive team!). They are almost always held at premium resorts. And, best of all, the information they provide is always changing. It sounds great and makes sense as presented but, poof!, the rules change and we have to start all over again. It's great to be a concerned and caring member of the "healthcare team"…… in consulting.

The movie Pink Ribbons, Inc opens in February. This Canadian film exposes yet another stroke of genius at transforming a worthy endeavor into a financial oilfield. Far more than the gravy train consultants marshall through the troubled American medical landscape, the whole business of the pink ribbon as marketing bonanza is truly a monument to the marketing industry. You have to believe the multiple manufacturers who are tied to the cause, if you will, can damn well hope we never do find a cure! I mean, it just doesn't get any better than breast cancer when it comes to pulling at heart strings and pocketbooks. I've had it up to the point where I'm not sure I even want to wear my pink shirts anymore-- and I have a few!

Whether healthcare or politics, cancer research or education, it's no longer about right or wrong. It's not about justice or citizenship. It's not about fairness or humanity. It's not about caring. It's about cash. We live in a monarchy: Cash is king. And it seems these days that your very humanity and your desire to do the right thing have become one of the most potent weapons of the marketing machine. Thank you for caring. Cha-Ching!